What I Thought Maternity Leave Would Look Like vs Reality
When you come for a corporate working world, maternity leave sounds like the best vacation ever! You’ll have this sweet new baby that sleeps and only needs to be held for cuddles and play time and you’re going to have all the time you could ever dream of for activities…. wrong!
It is proven constantly that those who are not at home with kids all day can view maternity leave as an easy vacation. That could not be farther from the truth. I personally used to think it a little bit as well, as much as I hate to admit it. I thought I’d have time to take on new hobbies like crochet and painting. I’d be super fit because I’d have all this time to workout and prepare fancy meals and become this superwoman-homemaking-housewife. But I was rudely mistaken.
This is not to discredit anyone who can and does do it all, and not to downgrade what I do accomplish each day, but it is no where near what I had expected for myself.
Instead of fresh bread in the oven and a spotless house, there are toys everywhere, crumbs on the floor, spit up on my shirt and yet another diaper to change.
The reality is, especially with my first born, as much as I was offered help, it wasn’t consistent because we live farther away from our family and friends than we’d like. But due to financial reasons, to become homeowners we had to purchase where we are. The sad truth, is when I had my second, I had even less help and double the work to manage.
Being a stay-at-home-mom is the hardest job I have ever taken on and I’m not paid, I don’t get consistent breaks and there is no “off the clock” option. But here’s the thing, I wouldn’t change it for the world. All I have ever wanted in life is to be a mother, so I am living my dream.
One day, I’ll get to take on new hobbies, get my body back, sleep perhaps, but until then, I am soaking up the cuddles and laughter along with the tantrums and sleepless nights. Our babies won’t be babies forever. The reality is that we will know our children as adults longer than we get to enjoy them as children so we really need to grasp what we can and build the memories now instead of later.
It’s not always going to be picture perfect. Sometimes we will have to excuse ourselves due to poor behaviour or miss out entirely because of colds and sickness. We get one shot as raising our children and we need to make the most of it. Raising good humans is not easy, but boy is it worth it!
Melanie xoxox